Otitis in cattle, an aetiological review

Otitis externa in cattle has a significant impact in tropical and subtropical regions, and the aetiological agents are predominantly rhabditiform nematodes and mites of the genus Raillietia. Its prevalence is higher in mature and Zebu cattle. In advanced clinical cases there can be irreversible and fatal neural lesions. Ear infection in calves has been associated with concurrent respiratory diseases and mixed infection. The principal reported agents of otitis in calves are bacteria such as Actinomyces spp., Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, Escherichia coli, Haemophilus somnus, Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica, Pseudomonas spp., Streptococcus spp. and Mycoplasma bovis. The control and treatment of bovine otitis is not standardized and there is little evidence-based support for the diverse treatments available in the literature.